Bristol mayoral election: Giving us a greater voice
A FIGUREHEAD for the city is bound to mean that we have a much greater voice in London, Brussels and on the international stage, to draw investment to the region.
But whether Bristol ends up with the £1 billion – mainly from new powers to raise loans – promised by the Government remains to be seen.
The City Deal appears fantastic on paper and senior ministers have been pledging their support for more funding to come our way, but cynics say that civil servants will make sure that the small print is in place before the coffers are opened – and Whitehall bureaucracy usually works in months, not weeks.
Some campaigners in favour of an elected mayor believe that the Government will be tripping over itself to throw some money at Bristol, to show voters in other cities who rejected the new system that elected mayors can work.
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We also have to consider what experts call "soft power".
This is the influence that an elected mayor is likely to wield because they are voted into power by the city's 320,000 voters.
It means that when they pick up the phone and talk to the Prime Minister, a senior minister or a bureaucrat in Brussels, they can say with conviction that they are speaking on behalf of the people of Bristol.
That is something we have never had before and something which should help the city to leapfrog those cities which said no at the referendum.
Comments
by KBillies
Sunday, May 06 2012, 9:15PM
“Will Peter Hammond and Helen Holland be daggers drawn over this for the nomination?
Its an open secret they loathe each other.
Looks like there is much blood letting to come before the scars will heal from last years bruising internal strife.
The Labour Party is a great party just in poor health locally.
For the sake of democracy in Bristol lets hope it can be nursed back to health.
Surely they are not the Party to provide a serious candidate for Mayor”
by artglad
Sunday, May 06 2012, 7:41PM
“The influence of 320,000 voters?
Only 42,000 voters wanted a mayor.
Who wrote this nonsense?”